


is it fine if i make more money than you

by oh_la_fraise



Category: Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-08-07
Packaged: 2018-08-07 06:14:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7703650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oh_la_fraise/pseuds/oh_la_fraise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec’s eyes widened.  “Oh my god.  Did you do this whole charade—the letter and the ‘secret artifact’ and everything, so you could give me the shovel talk?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	is it fine if i make more money than you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sweetlittlepeapod](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetlittlepeapod/gifts).



> My SH Summer Gift Exchange fic for sweetlittlepeapod! She wanted Malec with Ragnor; I hope this satisfies! I’ve only seen the show, so this is a slightly canon-deviant fic where Ragnor is still alive. Title is from The Quiz by Hello Saferide.

Ragnor and Magnus had known each other a long time. For centuries, actually. They’d seen each other through a lot: loss, joy, that time Magnus got banned from the Vatican. Magnus—and Catarina—was the only family Ragnor had. So when Magnus announced he was dating a Shadowhunter—the child of former Circle members, no less—Ragnor was a bit skeptical to put it mildly. He knew how quickly Magnus fell head over heels without really thinking things through. It seemed, as if overnight, all Magnus talked about was Alec this and Alexander that. Ragnor had been the one who’d had to clean up the absolute cluster fuck that was Camille leaving Magnus; he wasn’t eager to see it repeated.

So when Magnus mentioned one night over drinks that the Shadowhunter’s brother (Jason? Jay? Ragnor had to spend an ample amount of time around someone before he bothered to learn their names.) had threatened Magnus if he broke Alec’s heart, the wheels in Ragnor’s head started turning. Magnus seemed vaguely amused by the whole thing—he was old and powerful enough that a fledging Shadowhunter was more adorable than terrifying—but Ragnor felt strangely sympathetic. He knew that the Shadowhunters were probably were wary of Magnus—unlike Ragnor, most people didn't know how loving and devoted he was, and only knew his adventurous reputation. He could see why Alec’s family would be wary of an immortal being pursuing a man who was barely an adult.

They didn’t understand that Magnus was the one that had a good bit at risk. Even though their relationship hadn’t been in existence long, Ragnor knew that Magnus was already besotted. Whether he knew it or not, Alec was holding Magnus’s heart in his hand, and, the longer their relationship went on, the easier it would be for Alec to crush it. So, Ragnor thought, why couldn’t he act on his baser instincts like the Shadowhunter’s brother? There was no reason that he couldn’t give Alec a little warning. Just to make sure that Alec understood that Magnus had protective family too, and the Shadowhunter couldn’t do whatever he wanted to Magnus without repercussion.

He hadn’t actually met Alec yet. Ragnor spent a few days trying to think of a way for them to casually meet—he couldn’t very well interrogate the Shadowhunter for his intentions if Magnus was hovering nearby. It wasn’t until he was going through his kitchen and came across the bookmark from the Book of the White that he realized he had an excuse to draw the Shadowhunter to him.

He sent word to Alec that he had something valuable, and would only talk to the acting head of the New York Institute. No one else could know, because the secret was so important. Which, mostly Ragnor wanted to keep Magnus from finding out and getting angry at Ragnor, but it was important they keep the whereabouts of the Book quiet, especially with Camille being involved.

Alec arrived at the prearranged time. He was definitely Magnus’s type—tall, dark, and brooding. He nodded at Ragnor, guard up. “Warlock Fell. You said you had something important in the fight against Valentine.”

Shadowhunters. Always so to the point. “Sit down,” Ragnor waved towards a chair, “and have some tea first. There’s no rush. And for God’s sake, call me Ragnor. ‘Warlock Fell’ was my father.”

Alec glared; his patience was gone already apparently. “I don’t have time for chit chat.”

“Trust me, you do,” he said, and snapped his fingers, magic forcing the Shadowhunter into a chair.

“What are you—“

“I want to talk to you about Magnus,” he said.

Alec’s eyes narrowed. “What about him?”

“He doesn’t know you’re here; that’s why this had to be a secret. I understand that your brother threatened him if he broke your heart.”

Alec rolled his eyes. “That was just posturing. He’s my parabatai; he doesn’t want to see me get hurt. He wouldn’t actually do anything to Magnus.”

“No, you misunderstand me completely. Has Magnus told you much about our relationship?”   
“He mentioned he knew you.”

“The unsentimental bastard—he knows me,” Ragnor scoffed. “Magnus and I have known each other for centuries, and he is my closest friend. I’m his as well, although it would kill the old fool to admit it.”

“So. . .” 

“So he is my family, just like your brother is yours.”

Alec’s eyes widened. “Oh my god. Did you do this whole charade—the letter and the ‘secret artifact’ and everything, so you could give me the shovel talk?”

Now Ragnor rolled his eyes. “‘Shovel talk’ is a bit uncouth. I just want you to know that there are people who care about Magnus, and that we don’t want to see him get his heart broken.”

“I’m not going to break his heart,” Alec protested.

“Do your best not to.”

“Ragnor,” Alec sighed. “I just got kidnapped by Magnus’s best friend, and all I want to do is tell him about it so we can laugh about how weird this whole thing is. I—it’s too new for love, but I care about him deeply, and I wouldn’t ever do anything intentionally to hurt him if it’s in my power to prevent it.”

Ragnor cocked his head. “You really do like him, don’t you?” He hadn’t been blinded with love like Magnus; he’d always known that Camille was didn’t care about Magnus. Alec, it’s harder to get a read on, but he seems genuine in his affection for Magnus.

“I do.”

“Well, as long as you keep it that way.” He snapped his fingers, releasing the magic holding Alec in the chair. “Now, I actually do have something that I think can help Jocelyn; Magnus told me about what happened to her,” he said as he gestured for the Shadowhunter to follow him into his study. “She was always a favorite of mine when I taught at the Shadowhunter’s Academy.”

Alec raised an eyebrow. “You taught at the Academy?”

“Oh, yes. It was quite an interesting time in my life.”

Alec seems genuinely interested in his time at the Academy, and actually takes a cup of tea when Ragnor offers this time. They segueway into talking about Magnus when he comes up in one of Ragnor’s stories; Alec shyly asks him to tell some more stories about Magnus. Ragnor doesn’t tell him anything too heavy—that’s not his choice to tell—but he does recall some of their more humorous adventures over the years. Alec was laughing at Ragnor’s recounting of the time Magnus had gotten caught with a Duke’s wife when Ragnor’s door slammed open. They both jumped up, battle ready, Ragnor’s magic flaring while Alec pulled out his Seraph blade. They relaxed as they heard Magnus’s voice shouting through the house.

“Ragnor!” he shouted as he stomped through the hallway. “Alec is missing, and his sister seems to think he came here for some reason.” Magnus turned the corner and stopped still as he saw the two of them. “Oh, Alec. You are here.” His eyes swiveled between them. “Why are you here?”

Ragnor clutched Alec’s shoulder. “Oh, I just wanted to get to know the boy you’re so besotted with.”

Magnus’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t threaten him, did you?”

Alec spoke up, much to Ragnor’s surprise. “No, he wanted to show me the pictures of you in the eighties.”  
 Magnus’s groaned. “Oh god. Not the tie dye.”

Ragnor and Alec laughed, and though Magnus was complaining, he was smiling. As he watched Alec smile back at Magnus, Ragnor had a feeling, or at least he hoped, that this relationship would go a lot better for his friend than Camille.


End file.
